The Moon may be 384,400km away, but an accurate replica of its surface has opened in Germany. Astronauts from around the world will use it to train for visits to the moon.

It will be years before the European Space Agency can send one of its astronauts to the moon, but the agency says it’s time to start practicing as it opened a facility in Germany that will let astronauts train in conditions like those on the lunar surface.

European astronauts trained for future moon missions on Wednesday in a lunar simulator in Germany. The European Space Agency (ESA) has negotiated for three spots on future moon missions under the NASA-led Artemis program by 2030,

A large, ordinary-looking warehouse in the German city of Cologne is the closest you can get to walking on the Moon -- without leaving Earth.